Key retainer



Jan. 6, 1953 o. s. ELLIFF 2,624,192

KEY RETAINER Filed April 27, 1950 f wllllllllinlllllllIl/Avim INVENTOR: ORLA S. ELLIFF7 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 6, 1953 TENT OFFICEL,

2,624,192 Knr nETArNEa Orla,- S.Ellii=f; J oplin,A Mo., Company, Inc., Joplin,

Mssoorif.

e claims,

This invention relates generally` to improvements ina key retainer of the typewherein all ofthe keysare separated and each is carriedV onr an -vindividual key hanger that isdetachably mmed; sthatat any time, any senate@ key or'keysv may be removedirom orv replaced into the/retainer, withoutremoving the keyfromits respective hanger. e

One vof the important objects ofthis invention is to providesuch a ,constructionfwhereina spring is, employedn'to yieldably retain ally of the `key hangers. in their. oormollr looked .position ...ond Whore, there. .ioraotoollrno possibility. of an. accidental loss oisuch spring.l

Another oloioot oimy nroooioaiofoo .Sorroportion the part s ci aretainerk that the spring maybe entirely concealed rorn. View thereinfan'd retained Within ja confined space, to ehicientlyl perform its intended p1 rpose and Without danger. orits loss,-

Still anotherobjectwof myinventionistopro-- vide a construction of the kind ,described wherein. said .spring shallbe Vof v a shape. that is unusually strong .and sturdy, so ,thatit Will Ilast.` foran Nun-v usually long time Without breakage.

A further object of the invention is .to 'so lecnstruct such. a device that said spring may be easilyv and quickly inserted into its YWorking position in the. key retainer unit at the original assembly of theparts of the mechanism, and yet permit arapid and. simple replacement of said springif. and When the occasion .ever arises.

vOther objects ofthe invention are the produc-`r tion oi a'device or" the kind described which will be relatively -sirnpie inconstruction. and in oper. ation, be ,unusuallysturdy and rgidfor its in.- tencled purpose so as to standup vvell in normal service, be .neat .and attractive in appearance, and which will be .otherwise satisfactory land ecient for use. Wherever deemed applicable,

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein s'hown anddescribed, and thel uses, thereby obtained, Will .be .obvious to those skilled v in the art to which this nVentiOn. apper-l tains as ,will he apparent from the disclosures hereinafter given.

This invention is embodied ina support having a key hanger opening and adapted to be mounted in a vkey case, said support having a member longitudinally shiftable thereon to selectively cover and uncover said opening in the support so thatsod-lsorhaosolzmar poos through Said .oponins 1on1-y .Whoiooio ooooioe is .oooovoroa and. .a Sofogootoohoblr froioinoo looiroon. soiosopport anorllemoorio yielololr soumises shifting. tov

assigner .to The Meeker. 'M02 1a corlmtiflnzf.

Scrial No. 158,451-

2 uncover said opening. rand to retrievesaidfshift able member to ccversaidop of said member. u

My invention also consists in the novel 4coen-- struction, arrangement, combination and form of Aparts herein shown and described, and as `Vvv-ill be more clearly pointed out in the following specication.

In the drawings, wher tersV represent like o throughout the views,

ein like reference characr corresponding parts Fig. 1 is a front elevational view ora keycas'e tho .Caso looieggshore.

embodying `the invention,

opened;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational vievv of the key retairien V with certain of the parto 'broken .over inordo .iosfiowih'o ioiorior.

construction moreclearly; Fig. 3 is a similar enlarged vievv, but vvith the shirtab1-omomborm9ved to. ooothorposiiiom..

ig. fl is an enlarged `elevational vieWLas seen from the reverse side; 1

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectionalvievv, taken substantiailv alone tho.1ino.5..5 of Fis-...2:C..

Fig-,61S a transverse orossrsootionalyiew, taken. Substantolh/algone the. lino Io.- ofig- 2;..

Fig. b'I is a cross-sectionalqview, taken.substariftally. aIQnetheJne .1110i Fia;

g-, ,SiS 0.1" WSIS-509mm@delaly'aken .subst-an', tially along the line.` Sgpf Fig...2;

Fig, 9 is aplan view of theshiitable member; and..

Fia 1.0 is @the .bow

.Shrine a planifie d ombo l... c uw d a preferre Strato ment of my inventio A of any desired or as shown .is provide though it is-obvious against accidentally'openingby anyfother prefferred or :suitable means lThiscaseorffolder,

usually lmade, otleathen orY theflike, may have a d ywith snap ,fastenersu'alcentral :section: or-panel I towhichtliehkeyf,

retaining, structure may .be mounted, and A.the

other panels relation across said central panel Yl and the same held insuch position by a snap fastener 4,

Although key retainers whereinone or more.

of the keys may be Withdrawn from orreplaced into the, retainer are .Well-known, themechanism's of the same are relatively fragile 4and easilyobe-V cornedarnaged, and :out-,of-order, so that` the retaineris renderedv useless thereafter.;v

It is thepurpoeoithis invention-.tosoimprove the construction of such a retainerlthahthe.v

dii-Y n, thereis shown a key case preferred construction, and

that ,the rsame may: beuheld 2 and 3 may begfoldedin overlapping members of the same will be initially strong and sturdy for their intended function, but if and when the spring element that forms a part of said construction becomes broken or defective it may be replaced relatively easily and readily.

'I'he key-retaining mechanism includes a pair of cooperating members B and C, one of which, say the member B, is affixed to the key case A, While the other member C is longitudinally shiftable relative thereto.

The member B is a substantially channelshaped member, comprising the pair of substantially parallel, superimposed plate-like portions and 6, the portion 5 extending somewhat above and beyond the corresponding edge of the portion 6 and is transversely offset toward the latter as at 1. Openings or notches 8 are formed at regularly spaced intervals along and leading inwardly from the terminal edge of the portion 7.

The shiftable member C is formed with a platelike portion 9 to fit between the spaced-apart plate-like portions 5 and 5 of the member B, and is shiftable or slidable longitudinally therebetween as will be more clearly hereinafter described.

This shiftable member has a tubular or cylindrical top portion IU of such a size and shape as to ride on and substantially enclose the transversely offset portion 1 of the stationary member, and in addition, said tubular portion is provided with slots II at regularly spaced intervals and preferably of the same spacing as that of the openings 8 of the stationary members 5, the rear- Ward ends of said slots being enlarged to provide the openings I2.

. When the device is positioned in normal position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6, all of the openings 8 are covered by the shiftable member, but when the shiftable member is moved in one direction as to the left as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, said openings 8 will register with the enlarged openings I2 for a purpose about to be more clearly explained.

Key hangers or carriers are used to suspend the individual keys (not shown) and to keep them spaced apart and retained relatively flat within the case, each of saidV hangers comprising an element that has a shank I3 that is provided with a loop that is adapted to detachably receive a key, the upper end of said shank being provided with an enlarged ball head I4.

Each of said slots II is of a width so as to freely receive the shank portion I3 of the key hanger, but its enlarged opening I2 and the size oi' the openings 8 is suiiiciently large to permit the ball head I4 of the key hanger to pass therethrough when said openings 8 and I2 are in registry.

Thus it is apparent that when the members B and C are shifted from normal position so that the openings 8 are uncovered and are in registryl with the enlarged openings I2, any one or more of the key hangers may be passed therethrough for placement into or withdrawal from the key case, but when said parts are in their normal position the openings 8 are covered and such passage is prevented.

In order to aflix the stationary member to the key case, as for example to the central panel I as shown, apertures are provided through said stationary member, there being pairs of registering end apertures I5 and an intermediate pair of apertures I6 and I'I, the aperture I'I being enlarged so as to permit the manual insertion of a spring element therethrough in a manner about to be described.

Rivets I8 may be used to extend through opposed plate portions of the xed member B, and extend through said openings aforesaid, and the intermediate rivet has suiicient lateral clearance as to permit insertion of or removal of the spring element, without contacting the latter.

The plate-like portion of the shiftable member C is provided with end apertures I5 therethrough and with an intermediate aperture I'I which are adapted to register with the corresponding apertures through the stationary member, but it is to be noted that the apertures through the shiftable member are longitudinally enlarged so that said shiftable member may be moved laterally for a predetermined distance, free of interference by said fastening rivets. An offset finger or lug I9 is preferably formed at one end o1 the shiftable member for manual actuation of the latter.

It is well known that small coil springs are relatively weak and have a short life as compared with certain other types of springs, and for this reason I prefer to employ a bow spring for yieldably resisting the shifting movement of said shiftable member and for retrieving the latter to its normal position. Such a form of bow spring is illustrated in Fig. 10 and comprises the pair of leg portions 20 and 2| joined together at 22 and of such thickness that the spring may be interposed to lie between the pair of plate-like portions 5 and B as shown.

In order to anchor one end of the spring, as for example the leg 2 I, a prong or abutment 23 is struck up from the metal of the plate-like portion 5 adjacent a bounding edge of the intermediate opening I'I, the other end 20 of said spring abutting against the upright bounding edge of the cooperating aperture I I of the movable plate-like portion 9 so as to resiliently press against said last-mentioned edge to actuate the shiftable member so that its openings I2 are normally out of registry with the openings 8 of the iixed member and will cover the latter, and to retrieve said shiftable member to such covering position after release of the manual force which has moved the parts to the opening uncovering position.

What I claim is:

1. A key retainer for a key case comprising a first member adapted to be attached to the key case, said rst member providing spaced plate portions forming a channel therebetween, one of said plate portions having an extension formed with spaced slots in its free margin to pass key hangers, a second member providing a platelike portion slidable in said channel and a cylinder portion enclosing said slotted extension, said cylinder portion having spaced key hanger slots in its periphery with slot enlargements adjacent said extension, said slot enlargements being substantially the same size as the slots in said extension, and a spring concealed in the channel of said first member, said spring being anchored to said rst member and yieldably abutting said second member for normally urging said second member to a position in which the cylinder slot enlargements and said extension slots are out of registry whereby said slot enlargements are closed by said extension to prevent removal of a key hanger, opposite movement of said second v member serving to bring said slots and slot enlargements into registry to permit hanger removal.

' 2. A key retainer for a key case comprising a iirst member adapted to be attached to the key case, said first member having front and rear plate portions forming a channel therebetween,

5 one of said plate portions having an extension formed with spaced slots extending inwardly from its free margin, said slots being sized to pass key hangers, a second member formed with a plate-like portion slidable in the channel of said iirst member and with a cylinder portion enclosing said slotted extension, said cylinder portion having spaced key hanger retaining slots in its periphery and connected slot enlargements arranged to move across and into and out of registry with the slots in said slotted extension upon sliding of said plate-like portion in said channel, and a spring concealed in the channel of said first member-behind said front plate portion, said rear plate portion having an aperture through which said spring is inserted and removed, and said spring being anchored to said rear plate and abutting said second member for normally urging the second member to a position in which the cylinder slot enlargements and extension slots are out of registry to block said hanger retaining slots and prevent removal of a key hanger.

3. A key retainer for a key case having key hangers with enlarged heads, said retainer comprising a first member adapted to be attached to the key case and formed with a channel defined by front and rear plate portions and an extension along one margin of the channel, said extension having spaced slots sized to pass the enlarged hanger heads extending inwardly of its free margin, a second member having a plate-like portion slidable in the channel and an integral peripherally slotted cylinder portion along one margin adjacent said extension for enclosing the latter, each cylinder slot havingV a connected slot enlargement sized to pass an enlarged hanger head, the slots in said cylinder portion serving to -retain key hangers in the key case and said slot enlargements being movable, upon sliding of said plate-like portion in the channel, into and out of registry with the slots in said extension respectively to unblock and blockf said cylinder slot enlargements, and a spring concealed in the channel of said first member behind. said iront plate portion, said rear plate portion lof said rst ,member and said plate-like portion of said second member each having aperture'sin registry ,to receive said spring in the plane of the channel, said spring having one end anchored on said rear plate portion and the oppositefend engaging a margin of the aperture in said plate-like portion to yieldingly hold said second member in a position with the said slot enlargements therein and said extension slots out of registry.

ORLA s. ELLIFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,691,637 Buxton Nov. 13, 1928 1,908,846 Howe 'May 16, 1933 1,959,207 Howe 'May 15, 1934 2,114,172` Boden Apr. 12, 1938 2,191,931 Collins Feb. 27, 1940 2,201,850 Dawson Jr. May 21, 1940 2,401,753 Geller June 11, 1946 

